Vanina Pasqualini

• Professor
• Head of Department at University of Corsica Pascal Paoli

Spirulina is the commercial name for edible cyanobacteria of the genus Limnospira. The taxonomy of this genus is confusing with four species distributed in two lineages. Furthermore, the species Limnospira fusiformis has been cited as toxic by potentially producing microcystins. Taxonomic ambiguity combined with suspected health concerns constitute...

The blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus ) is an invasive species that has occurred in the Mediterranean Sea since the mid twentieth century but undergone a significant population increase in the last decade. This worrying increase has raised concerns necessitating to provide information about its ecology and population dynamics at different scales, inc...

Light plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and survival of aquatic organisms. To evaluate the survival of European spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas) larvae in relation to different light intensities (26, 359, and 910 lux, equivalent to 0.35, 4.74, and 12.29 μmol⋅m − 2 ⋅s − 1 , respectively), this study monitored the survival rates of re...

This contribution points out that while the importance of hydrologic, geomorphic, ecological, temporal, and socio‐cultural connectivity in the functioning of hydrosystems has been acknowledged in three dimensions (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical), vertical connectivity has often been overlooked. Drawing on a multidisciplinary literature review,...

Mediterranean coastal lagoons are particularly vulnerable to increasing direct anthropogenic threats and climate change. Understanding their potential responses to global and local changes is essential to develop management strategies adapted to these ecosystems. Salinity is a fundamental structuring factor for phytoplankton communities; however, i...

Despite being a vector of pollution towards connected ecosystems, groundwater is often underestimated or not taken into account in management frameworks. To fill this gap, we propose to add socio-economic data to hydrogeological investigations to identify past and present pollution sources linked to human activities at watershed scale in order to f...

Citation: Pinchart, P.-E.; Leruste, A.; Pasqualini, V.; Mastroleo, F. Microcystins and Cyanobacterial Contaminants in the French Small-Scale Productions of Spirulina (Limnospira sp.). Toxins 2023, 15, 354. Abstract: Spirulina is consumed worldwide, in the form of food or dietary supplements, for its nutritional value and health potential. However,...

Mediterranean coastal lagoons are affected by multiple threats (demographic pressures, eutrophication, climate change) expected to increase in the future and impact the ecosystem services provided. Conservation norms and scientific studies usually focus on large lagoons (> 0.5 km ² ) due to their economic importance, while they ignore smaller lagoo...

Plastic is now a pervasive pollutant in all marine ecosystems. The microplastic and macroplastic debris were studied in three French Mediterranean coastal lagoons (Prevost, Biguglia and Diana lagoons), displaying different environmental characteristics. Furthermore, biofilm samples were analysed along the seasons to quantify and identify microalgae...

Among the most common contaminants in marine ecosystems, trace elements are recognized as serious pollutants. In Corsica (NW Mediterranean Sea), near the old asbestos mine at Canari, trace elements from the leaching of mine residues have been discharged into the sea for several decades. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of contaminatio...

Peatlands are permanent wetlands recognized for ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation and carbon storage capacity. Little information is available about their response to global change, the reason why most Earth system climate models consider a linear increase in the release of greenhouse gases (GHG), such as CO2, with increasing tem...

Improving the effectiveness of marine spatial management is crucial to preserve marine ecosystems and also to support the fisheries economy. In this study, we aimed to determine the spatial distribution and suitable habitats (spawning and nursery sites) of Sciaena umbra and Dentex dentex using catches data in Corsica Island. Random forest models ha...

Background Corsica is a large French island in the Mediterranean Sea with high human and animal migration rates, especially near wetlands where these migrations are particularly frequent. Among the livestock populations, cattle and sheep are widely present all across the entire Mediterranean region. Trade can be responsible for the circulation of n...

This study investigated for the first time the oxidative biomarkers responses in all larval stages of sea urchin. The contamination effects were reproduced by using contaminated seawater to concentrations measured in the area adjacent to an old asbestos mine at factors of 5 and 10. The results suggested that the concentrations were not sufficiently...

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) can be divided into three groups: bacteria, parasites, and viruses. They are transmitted by a wide range of tick species and cause a variety of human, animal, and zoonotic diseases. A total of 148 publications were found on tick-borne pathogens in wild animals, reporting on 85 species of pathogens from 35 tick species an...

Coastal lagoons are subjected to ever-increasing direct or indirect anthropic pressures and are inexorably deteriorating with serious issues regarding their resilience. In this paper, we assessed the functioning and evolution of the highly disturbed Biguglia coastal lagoon (Mediterranean Sea, Corsica) through an ecosystem-based approach (EBA), usin...

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) include a wide range of bacteria, parasites and viruses that cause a large spectrum of animal, human and zoonotic tick-borne diseases (TBDs). The object of this review was to establish an inventory and an analysis of TBPs found in domestic animals in the countries of the Mediterranean Basin. This geographic area occupies...

Detailed seasonal analyses of phytoplankton assemblages’ composition were performed on long-term datasets (20 years) of two oligotrophic Mediterranean lagoons (Diana and Urbino), in order to test if phytoplankton community and bloom events patterns rely on a seasonal basis. Our results highlight a similar phytoplankton composition between the lagoo...

Among the marine planktonic diatoms, Chaetoceros is among the most species-rich genera, and many Chaetoceros species are considered important primary producers. However, little is known about the ecology and distribution of the few small solitary species within this genus, including Chaetoceros tenuissimus. This article describes a minute Chaetocer...

Several experiments were performed using larvae of Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) in order to determine the consequences of different chronic contamination with mixtures of (i) fifteen trace elements from concentrations measured in the world ocean seawater, and (ii) seven trace elements from contamination resulting from mining. To predict th...

ABSTRACT Among the marine planktonic diatoms, Chaetoceros is among the most species-rich genera, and many Chaetoceros species are considered important primary producers. However, little is known about the ecology and distribution of few small solitary species within this genus, including Chaetoceros tenuissimus. This article describes a minute Chae...

Coastal Mediterranean lagoons are at the interface between continental and marine environments, they also represent the ultimate collector of hydrological and hydrogeological watersheds. They are fragile ecosystems and usually groundwater dependent. Coastal hydrosystems are threatened by increasing anthropogenic pressures inducing polluant fluxes w...

The sustainable management of coastal lagoon hydrosystems is a key issue for the socio-economic and environmental development of many coastal areas worldwide. Often maintained by direct or indirect groundwater supplies, they provide a large range of ecosystem services, from which human societies take advantage. Twenty years after its implementation...

Ce rapport présente les fiches descriptives des 32 unités d’habitats de niveau 3 (biocénose) et 119 unités de niveau 4 (faciès et associations) de la typologie des biocénoses benthiques de Méditerranée version 2, pour servir d’outil d’aide à l’identification et la conservation des habitats. Les habitats ont été décrits sur la base des descriptions...

The impact of changes in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability on the trophic strategies of planktonic protists was evaluated in a disturbed Mediterranean lagoon (Biguglia lagoon, France) using short-term bioassays. Natural communities were collected in three periods, i.e., autumn, spring and summer, to address the influence of the different...

The impact of changes in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability on the trophic strategies of planktonic protists was evaluated in a disturbed Mediterranean lagoon (Biguglia lagoon, France) using short-term bioassays. Natural communities were collected in three periods, i.e., autumn, spring and summer, to address the influence of the different...

Spatio-temporal patterns of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and life cycle stages of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus were studied at two Corsican near sites which differ in terms of protection status. The results highlighted an annual cycle of the GSI with spring spawning (between May and June) and presumed lesser autumn spawning (October or Nov...

Coastal lagoons deliver a wide range of valuable ecosystem goods and services. These ecosystems, that are often maintained by direct or indirect groundwater supplies, are collectively known as groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs). The importance of groundwater supplies is greatly exacerbated in coastal Mediterranean regions where the lack of sur...

Experimental measurements were made in the laboratory to determine the swimming capacities of settlement‐stage fish larvae of several Mediterranean coastal species collected from the nearshore waters of Corsica, France. Critical swimming speed (Ucrit, cm s⁻¹) was measured to provide a realistic laboratory estimate of in situ swimming speed. Morphom...

Fish larvae at settlement represent a determining stage for maintaining coastal fish populations. This early life stage is decisive for the dispersal, recruitment, and habitat colonisation of coastal fish species. This study aims at observing the orientation behaviour of eight Mediterranean fish taxa, in four families, at settlement stage in two ex...

Coastal aquifers can be considered as an important socio-economic and ecological component worldwide. The implementation of sustainable groundwater management is made difficult by complex hydrological behaviors due to many interactions between groundwater and fresh, brackish and salt surface water. This study proposes an original multi-tracer appro...

The European Water Framework Directive and several other legislations worldwide have selected phytoplankton for monitoring the ecological status of surface waters. This assessment is a complicated task in coastal lagoons due to their intrinsic variability, prompting moves to use real-time measurements. Here, we tested the ability of the submersible...

As in many other European countries, urbanisation and urban sprawl along the French Mediterranean coast are a major concern. Understanding this phenomenon requires both multi-level and multi-disciplinary approaches. In this perspective, this article presents a framework for the observation and analysis of urban sprawl in the French Mediterranean co...

Sea urchins were harvested for decades in many areas throughout its distribution range, potentially leading to population collapse. In France, the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is intensively harvested. Yet, the demography and population dynamics remained under-documented, particularly in Corsica. In this context, we have characterized th...

Groundwater quality is strongly dependent on land use. Past and current anthropogenic activities can lead to the diffusion of contaminants in aquifers. This diffusion can threaten the resource exploitation for decades, thereby endangering the ecological health of groundwater dependent ecosystems. Thus, groundwater stakeholders need methods for long...

The Biguglia lagoon is the largest wetland of Corsica Island and is located immediately south to the densely urbanized city of Bastia. A part of the ecological preservation of the lagoon is based on the quantity and the quality of the freshwater supply coming from groundwater flows unfortunately still underestimated and misunderstood. To evaluate t...

Residence time (3H) Groundwater origin (stable isotopes of water) Pollution source (15N & 11B)

Increases in the intensity of disturbances in coastal lagoons can lead to shifts in vegetation from aquatic angiosperms to macroalgal or phytoplankton communities. Such abrupt and discontinuous responses are facilitated by instability in the equilibrium controlling the trajectory of the community response. We hypothesized that the shift in macrophy...

Estuaries are among the most productive in the world and have the greatest economic value relative to their surface area. These ecosystems have indeed a very strong exportation capacity of matter, trophic resources and organisms. Mediterranean coast includes a high density of temporary micro-estuaries. Iconic of the Corsican coast, they have very s...

The Biguglia lagoon is a shallow Mediterranean coastal ecosystem where eutrophication is increasing for years. A channel supplying freshwater was cleared in 2009 to enhance lagoon water circulation and alleviate dystrophic crises. Monthly monitoring was started in 2010 to document the impacts of this action on abiotic characteristics and phytoplank...

Dinoflagellate proliferation is common in coastal waters, and trophic strategies are often advanced to explain the success of these organisms. The Biguglia lagoon is a Mediterranean brackish ecosystem where eutrophication has long been an issue, and where dominance of dinoflagellates has persisted for several years. Monthly monitoring of fluorescen...

Urban sprawl is one of the main pressures affecting coastal areas in the Mediterranean. To assist spatial planning and coastal management policies, the study of urbanization and the characterization of the evolution of built-up areas along the coast are essential prerequisites. In this perspective, the production of land use data sets at a large-sc...

We evaluated the sensibility of coastal lagoons that have been subjected to oligotrophication to short-term nutrient over-enrichment. Therefore, two Mediterranean lagoons (Languedoc Roussillon region, France) with contrasted trophic status (mesotrophic and hypertrophic) and simultaneously subjected to a nutrient input reduction since 9 years have b...

Marine macroalgae are important ecological and commercial biomass resources to many regions of the world. They are valuable food resources and are most promising sources of bioactive compounds for the cosmetic industries. Phytochemical off-line investigation by the separation and identification of secondary metabolites are time, material and human...

The chemical composition of extracts from the green alga Chaetomorpha linum (Miller) Kütz., growing wild in Corsican pond, were investigated by GC-MS (derivatisation) and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Eighteen compounds have been identified from both pentane and ethyl acetate extract. Fatty acids, mainly saturated (SFA) are the main compounds from the pe...

This work is integrated in a study initiated on post-larval fish biodiversity of Northwest Mediterranean Sea (Life+ SUBLIMO, Life10 Nat/FR/000200). The aim of this work is to highlight a link between post-larval biodiversity and food availability in the marine coastal environment. This first quantitative and qualitative approach of plankton communi...

The concept of biodiversity encompasses a wide range of scales and metrics, from genetic and species diversity to functional and ecosystem diversity. Ecosystems can be characterized by a number of descriptors, such as species richness, type of primary production (where present), e.g. photosynthesis and chemosynthesis, production and biomass of prim...

Corsica Island is a sub-basin of the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with hydrological features typical of both oligotrophic systems and eutrophic coastal zones. Phytoplankton assemblages in two coastal ecosystems of Corsica (the deep Bay of Calvi and the shallow littoral of Bastia) show contrasting patterns over a one-year cycle. In order to deter...

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This study is in relation with a study initiated on the fishes’ post-larvae biodiversity monitoring of Northwest Mediterranean (Life+ SUBLIMO). The interest of this work is to check whether if there is a link between biodiversity of these fishes’ post-larvae and food available in the environment. Thus, the quantification and qualification of plankt...

In shallow human-impacted systems, sediment resuspension events can result in pulsed exposures of pelagic organisms to multiple contaminants. Here, we examined the impact of the resuspension of contaminated sediment on phytoplankton in the Biguglia lagoon (Corsica, Mediterranean Sea), by conducting an in situ microcosm experiment over a 96-h period...

Understanding what controls the capacity of a coastal lagoon ecosystem to recover following climatic and anthropogenic perturbations and how these perturbations can alter this capacity is critical to efficient environmental management. The goal of this study was to examine the resilience and stability of Cymodocea nodosa-dominated seagrass meadows...

Main objective of the study is to inventory the fishes’ post-larval diversity, a biological compartment not well known in the Mediterranean. The Postlarvae Capture and Culture (PCC) innovative technique (Lecaillon & Lourié, 2007)) is used in order to collect, identify and quantify post-larvae coastal fishes on 3 marine sites of the Corsican coasts...

Main objective of the study is to inventory the fishes’ post-larval diversity, a biological compartment not well known in the Mediterranean. The Postlarvae Capture and Culture (PCC) innovative technique (Lecaillon & Lourié, 2007)) is used in order to collect, identify and quantify post-larvae coastal fishes on 3 marine sites of the Corsican coasts...

Human practices have had an impact on Mediterranean ecosystems for millennia, particularly through agricultural and pastoral activities. Since the mid-19th century, land-use abandonment has led to the expansion of shrubland and forest, especially in the mountainous areas of the northern Mediterranean basin. Knowledge of these factors is vital to un...

Prescribed burning (PB) is gaining popularity as a low-cost forest protection measure that efficiently reduces fuel build-up, but its effects on tree health and growth are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the impact of PB on plant defenses in Mediterranean pine forests (Pinus halepensis and P. nigra ssp. laricio). These chemical defenses were...

Phytoplankton communities were studied in the Biguglia lagoon between May 2012 and March 2013. A massive invasion of Mnemiopsis leidyi occurred during the same period. We discuss the potential interactions between ctenophores and phytoplankton.

Seagrasses could constitute a major com-ponent of lagunal ecosystems. Generally, in seagrass beds, consumer control is strong. In coastal lagoons, where seagrass beds are particularly extensive, there is only scarce data on seagrass herbivory. In Mediterra-nean coastal lagoons, Paracentrotus lividus populations are extensive and consume Cymodocea n...

Seagrasses could constitute a major component of lagunal ecosystems. Generally, in seagrass beds, consumer control is strong. In coastal lagoons, where seagrass beds are particularly extensive, there is only scarce data on seagrass herbivory. In Mediterranean coastal lagoons, Paracentrotus lividus populations are extensive and consume Cymodocea nod...

This paper focuses on the spatial pattern of the shoot density of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica through kriging methods. Kriging is a group of geostatistical techniques to predict the value of a field at an unobserved location from observations of its value at nearby locations. The results of an ordinary kriging of both raw values of shoot densit...

Forest management can benefit from decision support tools, including GIS-based multicriteria decision-aiding approach. In the Mediterranean region, Pinus pinaster forests play a very important role in biodiversity conservation and offer many socioeconomic benefits. However, the conservation of this species is affected by the increase in forest fire...

Prescribed fires can be used as a forest management tool to reduce the severity of wildfires. Thus, over prolonged and repeated periods, firefighters are exposed to toxic air contaminants. This work consisted in collecting and analysing smoke released by typical Mediterranean vegetation during prescribed burning. Sampling was performed at five acti...

The interannual variations of the Schyphozoan jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca is estimated by weekly measurements in the Bay of Calvi (Corsica) from 2003. The mean annual abundance reaches a dramatic maximum in 2006. The medusae appear by migration of active swarms on the shelf and at the external limit of the Bay. Degraded individuals drift as passive...

Prescribed burning is increasingly being used as a fire prevention tool in forest management; however, it can cause thermal stress to trees. Its effects on pine physiology have been poorly understood. Flavonoids are highly indicative of plants’ responses to environmental stress, and in this study, we used flavonoid concentrations in pine needles to...

In the Mediterranean area, forest fires represent an important and periodic threat to the environment, to socioeconomic activities, and to human beings. In Corsica (France), in order to prevent large-scale fires and to protect forests, low-intensity prescribed burning, or high-intensity thermal pruning, are conducted within increasingly young Corsi...

Forest management can benefit from decision support tools, including GIS-based multicriteria decisionaiding approach. In the Mediterranean region, Pinus pinaster forests play a very important role in biodiversity conservation and offer many socioeconomic benefits. However, the conservation of this species is affected by the increase in forest fires...